Monday, March 20, 2017

Officer Capretto Saves Baby

NFTA Police Officer David Capretto is being credited with saving the life of a 3-month-old on the morning of March 15.

Part of a K9 unit and counter-terrorism unit, Capretto, was driving on the Kensington towards the Buffalo Airport, when he noticed a car veering and swerving. The driver struck one car, then another, then the wall. The car stopped, and so did Officer Capretto. When the driver emerged, Capretto knew something was seriously wrong.

“At first I thought he was holding a teddy bear,” Capretto said. As he approached he realized it was a limp and naked infant. Capretto grabbed the baby. Cold and lifeless, Capretto wrapped the child in a towel, pressed her to his body and drove straight to ECMC.

Capretto with baby

Dr. Mike Manka, chief of emergency medicine, and his crew met Capretto at the hospital. The child was in critical condition.

"Given how cold the baby was, and had there not been the accident and the officer there, the baby would not have survived long in those conditions," Manka said. "Even in the car, it would be hard for a naked child."

Skipper with baby

But the story does not end there. The man with the baby was Kaleb Evans, 23, who fled the accident scene on foot. Police circulated his photograph throughout local law enforcement agencies. He turned up in the afternoon at the MTC, downtown. NFTA Police Officers Karen Skipper and David Zarbo noticed a man matching Evans’ description on surveillance cameras. They approached him. He identified himself and he was arrested on the spot. He had a bus ticket to Atlanta.

Zarbo with baby

It is tough to find a better example of sound police work having a positive, meaningful impact on our community. Here at the Transporter, we are proud to be on Capretto, Skipper and Zarbo’s team.